Dear Sue, Knowing the plant upon which an insect is found it is often extremely helpful for identification purposes, but not all insects are found on plants, so we don’t have a field for that purpose. Milkweed is not a “Geographic location” and knowing if something was sighted in Pennsylvania or California or South Africa is also quite helpful, and every bug is found somewhere on the planet, which is why we have a Geographic location field on our submission form. Having the Geographic location is also of assistance for persons scouring the internet for identification purposes, so we hope you will write back and provide an actual Geographic location so we don’t have to leave that field blank in our posting. This is a Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar, one of the many species, like the Monarch caterpillar, that depends upon milkweed for survival. We don’t understand what “Thi dc” means since we could not locate it in the dictionary.

Subject: Red and black bug Geographic location of the bug: Laguna Beach CA Date: 08/04/2018 Time: 01:25 PM EDT Your letter to the bugman: These bugs are constantly on my milk weed Will they hurt the small monarch caterpillars? How you want your letter signed: KathyG

Large Milkweed Bug

Dear KathyG, This is a Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, and it is part of the rich diversity of insects that are associated with milkweed. Large Milkweed Bugs will not harm your Monarch Caterpillars nor will they harm the plants, but they will reduce the number of viable seeds the plant produces because according to BugGuide: “Seeds of milkweed plants.” Like Monarchs, they benefit from the toxins produced by milkweed plants and like Monarchs, they sport aposomatic warning colors because according to BugGuide: “In the course of feeding these bugs accumulate toxins from the milkweed, which can potentially sicken any predators foolish enough to ignore the bright colors which warn of their toxicity.”

Subject: Feathery Tiara Geographic location of the bug: Andover, NJ Date: 08/03/2018 Time: 03:14 PM EDT Your letter to the bugman: Hi Daniel, I found this very festive beetle (I think?) on my common milkweed today. I’ve gone through several searches for beetles with feathery antenna and can’t find anything that quite matches this little guy. The overall look of it makes me think it might be a nymph form of something. Hoping you can ID it for me. How you want your letter signed: Deborah Bifulco

Wedge Shaped Beetle: Macrosiagon limbata

Dear Deborah, This is a Wedge Shaped Beetle in the family Ripiphoridae, and thanks to this image on BugGuide, we have identified it as Macrosiagon limbata. This is a new species in a very underrepresented genus on our site. According to BugGuide: “Adults on flowers of goatweed (Capraria), elderberry (Sambucus), thoroughwort (Eupatorium), beebalm (Monarda), goldenrod (Solidago), mountain mint ( Pycnanthemum),” and “They go through hypermetamorphosis. The female deposits eggs on flowers frequented by bees. The first instar is a planidum, an active larva capable of climbing on a bee or bumble bee (their hosts). They are transported to the bee nest where they behave as parasitoids. The following instars don’t have legs and feed on the bee larvae and stored pollen and nectar.” Of the family, BugGuide notes: “bee/wasp parasites lay eggs on/near flowers, sometimes inside flower buds. Larvae attach to visiting bees and are taken back to nest, where they are internal parasites of larval hymenoptera, in some cases only in early stages. Some are reported to feed on leaves in later stages. Adults are short-lived.” Thank you for this marvelous addition to our archives.

Thank you so very much for the ID! I found the genus in my Beetles of Eastern NA after you gave me the id and read up a little on them. Fascinating, and I feel so very fortunate to have seen one. I need to start keeping a yard list of all the insects I’ve seen here. Thank you again, and have a great weekend. I’m off to see what I can find in the garden…

You are most welcome Deborah. There is a pretty good record of your sightings on WTB? You can use the search engine with your name to bring them all up.

Subject: egg or pupa on milkweed Geographic location of the bug: Azle, Tx Date: 08/01/2018 Time: 12:43 PM EDT Your letter to the bugman: I found several of these on my milkweed which was also infested with aphids. Please help me identify this creature. How you want your letter signed: Joanne

Subject: insects on milkweed plants Geographic location of the bug: Manhattan Beach, CA Date: 11/05/2017 Time: 12:36 PM EDT What is it? Have never seen it before in 20 years at this location. Is it beneficial or a bit of a problem? These plants also get hit by yellow aphids – I am hoping these red and black beauties eat aphids How you want your letter signed: Sue Randolph

Large Milkweed Bugs: Adults and Nymphs

Dear Sue, These are Large Milkweed Bugs, and they will not harm your milkweed plants, but they do feed on the seeds and seed pods, which does not harm the plant, but will reduce the number of viable seeds for next year. Like many insects that feed on milkweed, Large Milkweed Bugs have aposomatic or warning coloration. Large Milkweed Bugs are also reported to feed on oleander. Many True Bugs that feed on plants are also reported to feed on smaller insects, and we would love to fantasize that Large Milkweed Bugs might occasionally feed on Oleander Aphids.

Subject: Please identify this bug Location: Irvine, CA August 22, 2017 1:33 pm This bug is hanging out on my milkweed plant. Please help me identify it so I can get rid of it. Thank you! Signature: Marta Rosener

Large Milkweed Bug and Oleander Aphids

Dear Marta, The large insect in your image is a Large Milkweed Bug, and though they suck juices from plants, they feed mainly on the seeds and seed pods which will reduce the number of viable seeds produced by the plant, but it will not harm the plant. The tiny, yellow Oleander Aphids are another story and they are injurious to the young shoots of your milkweed plants, but it also appears that the Large Milkweed Bug might be feeding on the Aphids. According to BugGuide: “In the course of feeding these bugs accumulate toxins from the milkweed, which can potentially sicken any predators foolish enough to ignore the bright colors which warn of their toxicity.”